Serj Tankian Showcases ‘Orca’ Symphony Project in Austria

Serj Tankian got a chance to see his symphonic vision come to fruition Sunday (Oct. 28) when he joined the Das Karussell Orchestra in Austria to perform his 'Orca' classical symphony.

Tankian launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the event and the recording of a filmed show for a 2013 release. The end result was a rousing success, as Tankian and the orchestra were loudly cheered following the performance.

The singer stated before the show, "'Orca' is the first four-act symphony that I have composed, a mix of early-20th-century compositional styles combined with the powerful range of film scoring. I decided to name my symphony 'Orca' because orcas 'appear to have no parallel outside humans' in terms of their cultural faculties. An orca is really a dolphin with much darker tendencies. I see this dichotomy as a great metaphor for humanity."

Tankian initially sought a $25,000 goal to fund the entire project, and added that any additional funds would be used to cover the expenses of mixing, mastering, and promotion. Video footage from the show can be seen below.